Apparatus for the control of railway-car retarders



sept, 3o, 1930. L. E. Smm 1,776,866

` APPARATUS FOR THE CONTROL OF' RAILWAY CAR BETARDERS original Filed May 151,- 1928 ng g vif/Tm Lm@ imm Patented Sept.` 30,1930

LESTER n. sen-AY, oFpWiLKINSBURG; PnNNsYLvANIVAQAs-srenon To mn .Union y SEVITC-Ij 8cV SIGNAL`CMPANY,OF SWvISSVALE, PENNSYLYANILiA CORPORATION PENNSYLVANIA f.

`nriueiintin'sfron 'rim oo'ivrnoL or 'nauwer-CAR RETARDERS '.ipirritationY inea May '15, 132s, serial No. erases. 'Renewed Januaryei, 1930.l

My invention relates to'apparatus for the i control oirailway car'retarders of the type lio Iwill describetwoiorms Vof apparatusk einbodying my invention, and will thenv Jpoint out thefnovel features thereof inclaiins.

, In tlieaccompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammaticview showing one form ofapparatus embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a diagraminatic view showing a modiiication 'of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 and also embodying my invention.

The apparats fllustrated in Vthe `present application isy intendedV :for use with car" retarder e l,actua-ting 4mechanism oit, f the V kind v 4shown in Letters Patent of the United States,

No. 1,605,044pgrantedtoL.V. Lewis on No'- veinber 2, 1926. In the present applicati-on,

the reference character Dd'esignates the con- 'trollingV magnet of the admission valve D "shown in the said.Letters'Patent.V The reer- .4

ence character Edesignates the'controlling magnet of the exhaust valve E in the Lewis oatent and the reference characterl Ffdesi'- 7 i D natesthe controlling magnet fof the. restoring valve F in the Lewis patent. `,The circuit controllers IQ", `K .40,"andKG0, are responsive tothe pressure in theapplication vend of the iiuid pressure rnotor M in the Lewis patent "andere arranged to open when thegpressure in said motor jexceedsQO lbs. persquarein'ch,

40 lbs, persquare inch and 60 lbs. pergsquare inch. respectively. rlhe'circuit controllers.'

LZL, andl L63 are likewise responsive .to

the pressure in. the application 'end of vthe motor M and are arranged toopenwhen the pressure exceeds 23 lbs.'per square inch, 43 lbs. per square inch, and-63 lbs. per square inch,respectively.` Y V y Y The retarder control valves D, E, fand F,

are controlled by. a vmanually .opera-ble lever Gr` having siX positions. `The irstpositionis designated Rinand` isthev position in Vvwhich Athe lever isfplac'eld when it is desired to -restoreV the car retarder to its normal or open position. The second Aposition of the lever G is designated N and is the normal positioin,

that is, the position in which it is placed when no operation of the retarder is desired; .'lhe third position of the lever G is designated P?O, meaning that when the lever is in this position a pressure of `20-lbs. per square inchwill-fbe admitted toetlieapplifcation end of the car retarder,operating motor` The .fourth and fifth positions ofthe `lever G are 'respectively designated Piiand P66, mean#V ingthatwhen the lever is 5in position Pwfa pressure of 40 lbs. per square inch willbe admitted to theoperating motor, and when `the lever is in the position P a pressure oft() lbspper square inch will be admitted to the operating motor. The4 last position Voit' the lever Gris designate-dln ;"wheny the lever is in this position thefull available pressure will be admitted to the operating motor, `it

being assumed that the full vavailable prese sureis lbs. per square inch.' y 4 1,

' In Fig. 1, the lever Gr islconnected with the retarder actuating apparatus by three line fwires ,designated 1, "2, and 8, respectively. yAssociated, with Vthe 4retarder actuating `"apparatus are 'eleven asymmetric `units designated U1 to Ulrespectively, each of which units may be siniilarto those disclosed and claimed in Letters Patent of .thel l,United States, No. 1,640,335, granted ,to O. Grondahl August 23, 1927.

se i

e The operation of the apparatus shown in A Fig. 1 is as ollowsqAs 'shown in the drawuing,`the lever G isiin the normal position,s0 that allv circuits leadingto the retarderactu-- ating apparatus areopen. I will first assume that-the operator desires to applyapressure of 2O lbs. per square'v incliyto theretarder Vn'iotor. Todo this, he moves the lever Gr` to Yposition P2", whereupon circuitfor the admission"` valve becomes closed, which circuit is from themiddle point 11 of battery A, through contact 7 of lever G, wire 14, line wire 2',.wires land 16',. asymmetric unit U6, circuit controller K, wire 17, admission valve magnet D, wires 18 and 19, unit'Ua.,

wires 2() and ,21, circuit control-lerKl-wire i 22', unit U10, line wire 3, wires23and 24, con- Utl.

` three, but tlnitlithe required vposition Pf, iwhereupon current flows `from the middle terminal 11 of battery "A, throughwires 46 and 447, Contact 1010i lever G, line Wire 3,admissionlmagnet1)Wire 48, pressure yresponsive Contact X40, Wire 49, pressure responsive yContactV Kgo, Wire 50, linefvvirejQ, lever Contact 5, and Wire 51 to the'negative terminal offliattery '12. At the sameitime the exhaust magnet E is energized' in multiple with magnet D, thecircuit for magnet passingt'romY line Wire 3a, through magnet E, wire 52, contact'L, Wire 53, lContact L23 and wire 54 to lineivire 2, ,'Vhen the pressure in the `operating motor reaches QOflbsper square inch contact K2 opensand so thea'dinission of pressure ceases. f "1 i v lt the operator desiresto build upy the pressure in the retarder" motor" to 40`lbs". per square inch, Ahe moves the lever G to position P and current ltheiiftlows V"treuil the vmiddle terminal llofy battery A, through'rwi'res 46 and 47, contact l0, vvireBHmagnet-D, Wire S 48, Contact Kt", Wire 55, line Wire'1,fand` lever contact 4, to' thenegativeterminal 12 "c'i-'b'atn tery A. y The'exhaust magnet E is also energized in multiple With magnet D', the ci cuit for magnet E passing trom` line Wire 3a, through magnet E, Wire 52, Contact L43, Wires 56 and 57, and asymmetric unit U3 to line Wire l. The pressure in'the-retarderrmotor then builds up to v lbs; per square inch, at

which point contact K opens and so: prevents further increase of pressure.V y Y lf the operator desires to lincrease the mo- `tor pressure to 60 lbs. per square inch, he

vmoves the lever G to position closing a circuit Which passes from positive Deo terminal lOof battery A, through 58, lever contact 8, line Wire 3, asymmetric unit U7, Wire 57, asynmietricunit U3, Wires and 49, contact KG", unit U2, magnet Dline" lWire 8, lever contact lO and Wires 47. and 46 to the middle terminal 1 1 of battery A. The exhaust magnet E vis'e'nergized in Vmultiple with magnet D,Vthe'path"for the exhaust magnet` passing from asymmetric unit U7, through Wires.56 and.53,jcontact L63, unit U6 and magnet E to line Wire 3a. The motor pressure then buildsup to lbs. per square inch, at Whichvpoint Contact K6 opens and thus prevents the further admission of air to the retarder motor.'-

In order to increase the pressure in the re tarder motor to 8O lbs. per square inch, the operator moves lever Gr tov positionrPS", and current then flows from lthe positive terminal l0v of battery A, through Wires 58, 59, and 60,

lever Contact 7, Wires 61 and 62, line Wire 2,

thereby asym'metricunits U? and U2, admissionl magnet D, line Wire Slevercontact 1'0, and `Wires 47 and 46 lto the middle terminal llof battery A. This circuit is'providedWithV a multiple pathincluding the exhaust magnet E, this path being from line fvvire 2, throu'ghwire 54, asymmetricunits U5 and UG, land magnet to'lineivire 3a.' H'

' To reduce the pressure inthe retarder mO- "returns lever Gr to position lPW",whereupon the circuitof exhaust magnet Eincludes con- 'tact Le?, so that when vthe pressure in the retarder motoris reduced to substantially 63 vlbsffper"squareinchthis `Contacty closes, and t f the 're hictionof pressure ceases; f y i Similarly,"to reducethefpressure to about 40 orQOflbs'. per squarev inch, the operator re-` Vturns'lever Gr to position Ptoy or 1320,"vvhere1 upon the' circuit of exhaust ima-griet Einiig magnet F, asymmetric Vunit U4, linetvir'e 3, Wire 66,'lever contact 9, and Wires '67 `and 46v toj themiddle terminal ll `of battery'A. Thisl admits pressure to the restoring'end of the, retarder motor, and after the retarder has been restored to its normal position the operatorreturns the lever Gto its normal position. l i i i .Y It Willy be noted romthe `foregoing, that in each formofapparatus embodying my invention the pressure applied to the'retarder motor Will follow the positionfof the control Vlevend; and that I have' accomplished this Withoutthe use of a relay at the retarder and Without Vthe necessity for the operationjof a pushbutton-in the control tower. Further-'5 more, the use of the asymmetric units `I .amableto accomplishthis result with "a smallernumber of linevvires thanhaveheretotoreV been necessaryginv` the absence of the pushbuttjon, and `with apparatus shojwn in Fig. l I amable to accomplish the said'result Withone less line Wire than has been necesL sary when a push button'is used.

`pAlthough I :haveV herein'shown 'andYde scribed'onlyti'vo forms of apparatus embodyl infg myfinvention, it is"understoodthat various changes and mod-ications may" he .made thereinr -vvithin the scopeVv of the appended claims Without departing fromthe spirit and scopeof I'nyinvention;` Y 'f' TI-IavingV thus described myfinventionl, what iso l. Apparatus for controlling the supply of Huid pressure to a car retarder actuating motor, comprising an admission magnet, an exhaust magnet, a restoring magnet, a first series of contacts responsive to the pressure in the application end of said motor and arranged to open at progressively increasing pressure values, a. second series of contacts responsivc to the pressure in the application end of said motor and arranged to open at progressively increasing pressure values, each contact in the second series being arranged to open alt a slightly higher pressure than the corresponding contact in the first series, a control lever, a plurality of asymmetric units, and circuits for said magnets including said pressure responsive contacts and said asymmetric units and contacts operated by said control lever. Y

2. Apparatus for controlling the supply of fluid pressure to a car retarder actuating motor, comprising an admission magnet, an eX- haust magnet, airst series of contacts responsive to the pressure in the application end of said motor and arranged to open at progressively increasing pressure values, a` second series of contacts responsiveto the pressure in the application end of said motcr and -arranged to open at progressively increasing pressure values, each contact 1n the second series being arranged to open at a slightly higher pressure than the corresponding contact in the first series, a control lever, a plurality of asymmetric units, and circuits for said magnets including said pressure :responsive contacts and said asymmetric units and contacts operated by said control lever.

Apparatus for controlling the applicatOll of fluid pressure to a car retarder actuating motor, comprising an admission magnet, a series of three contacts responsive to the pressure in the application end, of said motor and arranged to open at progressively increasing pressure values, a first, a second, and a third conductor, a controlcircuit for said magnet including one of said contactsrand the first and second conductors, a second con- 51'01 circuit for said magnet including another of said contacts and the second and third conductors, and a third control circuit for Said llllgllet including the third contact and the h'lst and third conductors.

4- Apparatus for controlling the application of fiuid pressure to a car reta rder actuatnT motor, comprising an admission magnet, a series of three contacts responsive to the pressure in the application end of said motor and arranged to open at progressively increasing pressure values, a first, a second, and a third conductor, a iirst, a second, and a tlllCl manually operable device, a control circuit for said magnet including the first and SeCOnd CODdllCors and controlled by one of said contacts and the first said manually operable device, a second control circuit for said magnet including the second and third conductors and controlled by another of said contacts and the second said device, and a third control circuit for Said magnet including the first and third conductors and controlled by the third contact and the third said device.

5. Apparatus for controlling the supply of fluid pressure to acar retarder actuating motor, comprisingan admission magnet, an exhaust magnet, a first series of contacts responsive to the pressure in the application end of said motor and arranged to open at progressively increasing pressure values, a second series of contacts responsive to the pressure in the application end of said motor and arranged to open at progressively increasing pressure values, each contact in the second series being arranged to open at a slightly higher pressure than the corresponding contact in the first series, a. plurality of asymmetric units, a plurality of control circuits for said admission magnet each of which includes said admission magnet and a contact of the first series respectively Vas Well as one of said asymmetric units, and a branch pat-h for each of said control circuits passing around the admission magnet and the associated contact and including said exhaust magnet and the corresponding contact of the second series.

In Atestimony whereof I afi-ix my signature.

LESTER E. SPRAY. 

